Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi began each day by pondering how much he should raise the price of petrol and which public sector unit he should sell next.
“Prime Minister’s Daily To-do List: 1. How much rate of petrol-diesel-gas should I raise 2. How to stop discussion on expenses (Kharche Pe Charcha) of the people? 3. How to sell false dreams of employment to youth 4. Which government company should I sell today 5. How should I render farmers more helpless?” Rahul tweeted with the hashtag RozSubahKiBaat, directly targeting Modi.
The Congress, which considers the central government a one-man show, or at best a Modi-Amit Shah duopoly, has always held Modi responsible for every policy decision.
The party clearly does not believe that the petroleum minister or the finance minister has any say in the pricing of petroleum products.
Rahul’s reference to “Kharche Pe Charcha” (discussion on prices) was obviously a dig at the Prime Minister’s “Pareeksha Pe Charcha” (discussion on exams) programme with students, scheduled for April 1.
At this annual event, Modi, who has written a book titled Exam Warriors, gives tips to students on how to deal with exam pressures. He has tweeted that the enthusiasm about the programme has been phenomenal this year.
Rahul’s tweet implies that the Prime Minister is responsible for discussions on price rise being stalled in Parliament despite the Opposition’s persistent demands.
Opposition members have been giving notices, including adjournment motions, in both Houses to discuss prices but the government hasn’t allowed these so far.
Sources said the government had asked Opposition leaders to express their views on price rise while speaking on the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill instead of pressing for a separate debate.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has blamed the rising petroleum prices on the Ukraine conflict. The Opposition isn’t convinced because the prices of petroleum products have been high throughout the last few years, and because the recent serial hikes came after the Assembly elections and not immediately after the start of the Ukraine crisis.
With food inflation adding to people’s burden, the Congress is poised to start its “Mehngai-mukt Bharat” (inflation-free India) campaign from Thursday.
Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala responded to the daily ritual of hikes in fuel prices by saying: “The morning extortion and loot continues. The guerrilla attack on the people happens every day. When will this early morning ‘pocket-mari’ stop? In nine days, Rs 5.60 hike on petrol.”
Surjewala posted an old video that purportedly shows Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, saying: “The Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) is not ready to utter a word on the price rise. They are so arrogant — maro toh maro, aapka naseeb (if you die, you die, it’s your bad luck).”
Modi has turned a deaf ear to the Opposition’s jibes and desisted from speaking on the price rise till now.
Rahul’s tweet also questions the Prime Minister’s silence on the record unemployment rate, and his sale of public assets.
It refers to the farmers amid speculation that the government may be planning to bring back the farm laws it had been forced to repeal late last year following a yearlong farmers’ agitation.
Insurance cover
The Congress has initiated a unique scheme to provide accidental insurance cover to each and every member of the party. The initiative was taken up as part of its membership drive in Telangana. Leaders from the state met Rahul on Wednesday and presented him a symbolic cheque of Rs 6.34 crore, the first premium amount for the insurance cover for 40 lakh members in Telangana.
